Synonyms for sister


Grammar : Noun
Spell : sis-ter
Phonetic Transcription : ˈsɪs tər


Définition of sister

Origin :
  • mid-13c., from Old English sweostor, swuster "sister," or a Scandinavian cognate (Old Norse systir, Swedish syster, Danish søster), in either case from Proto-Germanic *swestr- (cf. Old Saxon swestar, Old Frisian swester, Middle Dutch suster, Dutch zuster, Old High German swester, German Schwester, Gothic swistar).
  • These are from PIE *swesor, one of the most persistent and unchanging PIE root words, recognizable in almost every modern Indo-European language (e.g. Sanskrit svasar-, Avestan shanhar-, Latin soror, Old Church Slavonic, Russian sestra, Lithuanian sesuo, Old Irish siur, Welsh chwaer, Greek eor). French soeur "a sister" (11c., instead of *sereur) is directly from Latin soror, a rare case of a borrowing from the nominative case.
  • According to Klein's sources, probably from PIE roots *swe- "one's own" + *ser- "woman." For vowel evolution, see bury. Used of nuns in Old English; of a woman in general from 1906; of a black woman from 1926; and in the sense of "fellow feminist" from 1912. Meaning "female fellow-Christian" is from mid-15c. Sister act "variety act by two or more sisters" is from vaudeville (1908).
  • noun female sibling
Example sentences :
  • "They needn't eat their lunch that way," declared his sister.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • It's the Viluca—Mr. Bines, you know; he's bringing his sister back to me.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • "But his sitting there eating in that—that shirt—" said his sister.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • On his death-bed he charged his nephew to protect and cherish me as a sister.
  • Extract from : « Philothea » by Lydia Maria Child
  • You wouldn't turn out your sister's son, would you, Uncle Paul?
  • Extract from : « Brave and Bold » by Horatio Alger
  • "I'll walk a bit with you," said his sister, donning her jacket and a cap.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • I like him all the better for his misfortune, and so I am sure will my sister.
  • Extract from : « Brave and Bold » by Horatio Alger
  • Then I came for her; I saved her sister; then I saw the name on the card and would not give my own.
  • Extract from : « Malbone » by Thomas Wentworth Higginson
  • Does not his own sister live unhappily, for want of a little of his superfluities?
  • Extract from : « Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9) » by Samuel Richardson
  • This I am resolved upon; if I have not his sister, I will have him.
  • Extract from : « Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9) » by Samuel Richardson

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Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019